Flashlight



Patented May 18, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLASHLIGHT Application October 5, 1933, Serial No. 692,233

4 Claims.

This invention relates to electric hand lanterns or flashlights of the kind in which a removable battery of dry cells is connected and disconnected at will to an incandescent lamp from which the light is reflected in a given direction.

One object of the present invention is an electric hand lantern in which the light from the lamp may be selectively thrown as a beam or spotlight, that is, concentrated on one spot or diffused over a wider area. Accordingly, a refiector is provided normally directing the light from the lamp in parallel rays and a light diffusing screen is movable between the lamp and the reflector to diffuse the light rays.

The invention also has to do with instrumentalities whereby the light from the light source may be concentrated or diffused. To this end, a sleeve, preferably of frosted glass, is disposed axially of the lamp and is movable, say, by means of a lever between a position between or surrounding, as the case may be, the lamp with respect to the reflector, and a position in which the light rays are not intercepted by the screen.

The invention further seeks a circuit closer for a hand lantern which is incorporated in the handle.

Another object of the invention is a hand lantern which is practical from the standpoint of ease and cheapness of manufacture and durability and effectiveness in use.

These and other objects of the invention and the means for their attainment will be more apparent from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating one embodiment by which the invention may be realized, and in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional view of the hand lantern of this invention, showing the diffusing screen in light diffusing position;

Figure 2 is a view showing the hand lantern of this invention in front elevation, parts being broken away to show details of the interior con struction;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary View showing the diffusing screen in retracted position whereby the light is concentrated; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail view taken in a transverse plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 1A Referring now to the drawing, the lantern of this invention generally comprises a cylindrical casing I adjustably mounted, as at 2, upon the upstanding brackets or arms 3 of a base 4, the casing being provided with a removable cover 5 through which access may be had to the interior (Cl. Z110-10.63)

for replacement of batteries and other parts. At the front end of the casing, that is, the end opposite to the removable cover 5, a cylindrical portion 8 of reduced diameter is provided defining an annular shoulder 'I and the cylindrical portion 6 is formed with threads to receive a threaded cylindrical reflector support 8, which is formed at its outer end with an inwardly directed flange 9 on which the edge of the reflector I0 rests. Outwardly of the reflector Il] is disposed the lens I I, which is secured as by a lens ring I2 threaded on to the tubular member 8. The reflector IU is formed. with a circular aperture i3 for the recep tion of a lamp I4. By screwing the tubular member 8 on and olf the threaded cylindrical end 6, the reflector may be adjusted with respect to the lamp so that the desired focus may be attained.

Within the casing I and against the shoulder 1 is disposed a disc I5 preferably of non-metallic or non-conductive material formed with a central yaperture I6 of a diameter substantially equal to that of the aperture I3 in the reflector. This disc I5 carries conducting members II by which appropriate terminals of the dry cells I8 are connected in series.

Centrally of the casing I, or co-axially thereof, is disposed a tubular bearing member 20 which is conveniently supported and positioned therein by forming a portion thereof with a bulbous or substantially spherical surface 2l which is engaged by the correspondingly formed ends 22, Figure 4, of a pair of downwardly depending bracket members 23, the upper ends 24 of which are outwardly curved and are conveniently secured,'as by welding, to the upper portion of the casing. The bearing member 20 is supported in place by drawing the ends 22 into clamping engagement with the surface 2I by means of the screw and wing nut 25. The bulbous surface 2l provides a ball and socket joint with the surface of members 22 to permit adjustment of the tubular bearing member 20 (which also carries the lamp I4), so that the filament of the lamp can be made to coincide axially with the focal point of the reflector I0. This enables the user to compensate for errors in manufacture of lamps wherein the filament is not on the center line of the lamp.

Surrounding the tubular member 2li is an arcuate positioning member 26 by which a plurality of the dry cells I8 are positioned. Appropriate terminals of the cells I8 are connected in the identical with the conducting members I'I at the front end and indicated by the reference character ITB.

series at the rear end, as by conducting membersv At its forward end, the tubular member is disposed within the aperture I6 and is formed with a lamp socket terminating in a rod-like contact member 3| suitably insulated therefrom as by a tubular bushing 32, said contact member 3l being suitably connected, as by a conductor 33, with that terminal of the battery at the rear of the lantern. A conductor connects the battery terminal at the front end of the lantern with one contact 36 of a circuit closer disposed within the handle 3l of the lantern. The other contact of the lamp is grounded as is also the other terminal of the lamp in that the other terminal of the lamp is in electrical communication through the socket 30, tubular member 2&3 and bracket 23 with the casing l, whichl is in turn in electrical connection through the metallic handle member 40 with a movable metallic thumb piece 54,55 carrying the switch contact 4|, as will be apparent.

The forward end of the tubular axial member 29 serves as a bearing or support for a reciprocable translucent screen concentric with the tubular member 23 and movable through the apertures I5 and I3 from a position within the reflector surrounding the lamp I4 to a position, as shown in Figure 3, Without the reflector exposing the lamp. The inner end of the translucent screen is provided with an annular frame 45 conveniently clamped thereto to which is pivotally mounted, as at 4l, a bifurcated operating lever 43 fulcrumed, as at 49, on a portion of the bracket 23 and extending through a slot 56 in the casing whereby the end is exposed for manual actuation.

The handle is tubular, as at 53, and is preferably of conductive or metallic material to form part of the electrical circuit. The contact member ci is axially disposed within the tubular handle 3l and is threaded, at its forward end, in a metallic plug 54 slidable in handle 3l and having a cylindrical thumb piece 55 protruding through an aperture in the front end of a handle. The plug 54 is normally urged to the forward end of the handle by the spring 56, thereby carrying the contact member 4! out of contact with the Contact member 3E.

The contact 35 is illustrated as a cylindrical plunger movable in a guideway 5'1 in an insulatory plug 53 in the rear end of the handle 53. It is formed rearwardly with a flange adapted to abut against a shoulder formed by a passage of larger diameter in the plug 58 and is urged forwardly by a spring 53 bearing against a terminal member to which the lead 35 is secured, as by a set screw 5i threaded into the plug 58 and accessible by means of the removable cover G2.

To close the circuit, the thumb piece is pressed inwardly, thereby carrying the contact 4l into electrical connection with the yielding contact 33 and closing the circuit through the batteries and lamp. To hold the circuit closed, the thumb piece 55 may carry an actuating locking pin 65 passing through a cam slot 6G in the sleeve 53, say, which when pressed will follow the slot to turn the plug 55 about its axis and move it rearwardly and retain it in circuit making position. The circuit is opened by moving the pin in the other direction.

The translucent screen 45 may conveniently be made of frosted glass or the equivalent and when the screen 45 surrounds the incandescent lamp, as shown in Figure l, light rays from the lamp rilament passing through the screen, are diffused and broken up and reflected in various directions from the reflector to spread the light over a relatively wide area. On the other hand, when the frosted tube 45 is retracted, as shown in Figure 3, so as to uncover the lamp, the light rays therefrom will be parallel and, falling on the reflectory will be reflected in a parallel beam and concentrate the light on a spot of relatively small area.

It will thus be seen that a hand lantern has been provided which may be carried about in the hand by means of a handle 3l or stood upon the base 4. The circuit is easily closed to illuminate the lamp by depressing the push button 55 in the handle, which is disposed convenient to, say, the thumb. Similarly, the light may be changed from a flood light to a spot light by simple actuation of the handle 48.

Various modifications will occur to those skilled in the art in the configuration, disposition and composition of the component elements going to make up the invention as a whole and no limitation is intended by the phraseology of the foregoing description or illustrations in the accompanying drawing.

What is claimed is:-

1. In an electric hand lamp, in combination, a casing, a member whereof the axis is substantially coaxial with the casing axis and which ls formed with depressed cell positioning portions and conductive means at either end of said member alternately connecting unlike terminals of adjacent cells.

2. In an electric hand lamp, in combination, a casing, a member whereof the axis is substantially coaxial with the casing axis and which is formed with depressed cell positioning portions, non-conductive walls at the ends, respectively, of said cell positioning member and conductive means carried with said Walls alternately connecting unlike terminals of adjacent cells.

3. In an electric hand lamp, in combination, a. casing, a lamp socket support axially of the casing, an elongated cell positioning member substantially U-shaped in cross-section within which said lamp socket support is disposed, said cell positioning member being formed with depressed cell positioning portions, non-conductive walls at the ends, respectively, of said tubular cell positioning member and conductive means carried with said walls alternately connecting unlike terminals of adjacent cells.

4. In an electric hand lamp, a cylindrical casing formed with a restricted threaded end delining an inward shoulder, a lens ring threaded on said end, a removable closure for the other end of the casing, spaced non-conductive walls Within the casing formed axially with apertures, respectively, a cylindrical lamp socket support disposed axially of the casing and extending within the apertures in the non-conductive walls, a centrally disposed generally tubular member formed with depressed cell positioning portions within which said lamp socket support is disposed, said cell positioning member being formed with depressed cell positioning portions and conductive means carried with said walls alternately connecting unlike terminals of adjacent cells.

FRANK G. S'I'IMSON. 

